Apple’s Thunderbolt May Open New Route for Hackers

Apple’s new line of MacBook Pro laptops released yesterday (Feb. 24) comes with Thunderbolt, an advanced data port that, according to one security expert, could also serve as a gaping hole for hackers.

In appearance and function, a Thunderbolt port — a high-speed interface for connecting external devices such as hard drives, video cameras or display monitors — is similar to a USB port.

With regards to security, however, that’s where the likenesses stop, Robert Graham, CEO of security firm Errata Security, wrote on a company blog. “Imagine that you are at a conference,” Graham said. “You innocently attach your DisplayPort to a projector to show your presentation on the big screen. Unknown to you, while giving your presentation, the projector is downloading the entire contents of your hard disk.”